I hate losing, but there is no reason to panic, says Vettel

16 July 2017 06:54

Sebastian Vettel insists there is no need to hit the panic button, despite seeing Lewis Hamilton slash the gap in the championship race to just one point.

Vettel, who has been in charge of this year's title battle ever since he won the opening round of the season in Australia, finished only seventh at Silverstone following a puncture.

The four-time champion was on course to cross the line in third, and lose just 10 points to Hamilton, before his dramatic tyre failure on the penultimate lap.

Hamilton's Mercedes team have won three of the last four grands prix and should have claimed victory in Baku too, only for Hamilton's headrest to come loose.

"There is no reason to panic or worry, but for sure we need to be aware that Mercedes are very quick," Vettel, 30, said. "There are plenty of positives.

"For sure, you look after every race where you are. This race was not good for us. Full stop. We did not get the result we wanted or that we probably deserved, but that is how it is. We cope with that and we move on.

"There is a new race coming in two weeks' time, but it is normal. You are judged by the day. I f things go differently we come out as the winner, and when you come out on top everything looks peachy, but if you don't, like today, people talk of a huge disappointment and a disaster.

"But I am not here to lose. I don't like losing, and I hate it. So we want to make sure we turn it around for next time."

Vettel's titanic tussle with Max Verstappen provided one of the highlights of the race. The duo went wheel-to-wheel through Stowe and then Club, but Verstappen held his position to leave Vettel gesticulating with his hand at the 19-year-old.

"He wants to play bumper cars," Verstappen said over the team radio. Vettel was rather more restrained, but did accuse the Red Bull man of illegally moving in the braking zone.

Vettel failed to find a way round Verstappen on track, but did manage to get ahead of the Red Bull man by virtue of pitting for tyres one lap earlier than the Dutchman.

"He is trying to defend as hard as possible, but at some point you need to stick to your line," Vettel added. "I am sure he will calm down as he has not done that many races.

"I wanted to get past, but in the end we got him in the pit stop. We just lost a lot of time in the first stint."